Reliant Stadium Game Day Guide
Houston Texans · Houston, TX
Know Before You Go
- Bag policy
Reliant Stadium permits clear bags up to 12 x 6 x 12 inches, one-gallon clear freezer bags, and small clutches up to 4.5 x 6.5 inches.
Medically necessary bags are allowed after inspection.
- Gate opening
Reliant Stadium's main gates open 90 minutes before kickoff for Texans games.
Club and suite entrances open two hours before kickoff.
- Mobile tickets
Texans game tickets and parking passes are mobile-only.
Open the passes before traveling to Reliant Stadium and save them to a mobile wallet when available.
- Re-entry
A ticket cannot be used to re-enter Reliant Stadium after it has been scanned for entry.
- Prohibited items
Reliant Stadium prohibits weapons, noncompliant bags, coolers, fireworks, selfie sticks, lasers, outside food and drink, noisemakers, and other listed items.
Review the live A-Z guide before arrival for the complete list.
- First aid
First Aid stations are near Sections 120, 140, 327, 355, 525, and 528.
Contact the nearest stadium employee for emergency medical assistance.
- Nursing and lactation
A private nursing room is available at the Guest Experience booth near Section 133.
Breast pumps, formula, and a small soft-sided cooler are permitted after screening.
- Family restrooms
Accessible family restrooms with changing tables are available on the 100, 300, and 500 levels.
- Tickets for children
Every child age two or older needs a ticket for a Texans game.
- Guest services
Guest Experience booths are near Sections 113, 133, 319, 346, 517, and 543.
For assistance during a game, text the issue and location to 832-241-0202.
- Service animals
Task-trained service dogs and service dogs in training are permitted at Reliant Stadium; emotional-support animals are not.
Guest Experience may relocate a party when needed to safely accommodate the animal.
- Smoking and vaping
Smoking and vaping are prohibited in seating areas and concourses at Reliant Stadium.
Designated smoking terraces are available on each level and side but may close for an event.
Game Day Timeline
What the day looks like at Reliant Stadium, hour by hour.
Lots Open for Tailgating
Reliant Park lots open for tailgating. BBQ smokers fire up early, brisket needs time. Blue Lot fills first.
Tailgate Scene Peaks
The lots transform into a massive Texas BBQ cookoff. Brisket, sausage links, and Tex-Mex spread across every tailgate. Karbach and Saint Arnold craft beers flow freely.
Gates Open
Stadium gates open. Head inside early to explore the Texans Grille area and grab brisket without the long lines.
Player Warmups
Players take the field for warmups. The 100-level end zone sections offer the best close-up views.
Find Your Seats
Grab your Gulf shrimp po'boy and settle in. The Bull Pen pregame entrance and Toro's antics are about to kick off.
Game Time
The crowd erupts under the retractable roof. The Bull Pen pyrotechnics mark player intros. Houston's 72,000+ fans bring serious energy.
Exit Strategy
METRORail handles post-game crowds well. Or walk back to your tailgate, many fans continue the BBQ after the game.
Tips & Fan Reports
Blue lot is where the tailgating is. Night games at NRG are a blast - get to the lot by 5 for a 7:10 kickoff. Trust me. It will take you a half hour just to walk up to your seats.
The north and east end of the stadium gets the sun at game times when the roof is open. Check the clear bag policy on the NRG or Texans website so you don't have to go back to your car with stuff.
Take some cash to pitch in on food and drinks while tailgating. Not required but it is customary as a courtesy. The tailgating culture at NRG is very welcoming.
Arrive early, Blue Lot tailgating is legendary and the BBQ culture is the real pregame show.
The retractable roof keeps it comfortable inside but the walk from the parking lot in September Houston heat will drench you. Bring a towel.
The retractable roof keeps the stadium climate-controlled, but dress for outdoor tailgating in Houston heat, sunscreen, hat, and water.
Try the brisket sandwich inside the stadium, Houston BBQ is world-class and the stadium version delivers.
METRORail to the NRG Park station is $1.25 and drops you right there. Way better than sitting in 610 traffic for an hour postgame.
Blue Lot tailgating is legendary. Houston BBQ cooked in a parking lot is the real pregame show. Arrive 3+ hours early and bring your appetite.
Buy the mobile parking pass in advance, every Reliant Park lot requires one, with only limited cashless lots on the day.
Before the Game
Tailgating is allowed across all Reliant Park parking at Texans games, and the boundary is painted: blue lines mark the drive lane and you may not tailgate beyond them. Your area is the parking spot plus the space directly behind or in front, whichever sits next to the drive lane without blocking it. Open flames are allowed, but liquid charcoal starter and other flammable liquids are strictly prohibited, so an electric starter or quick-starting charcoal is the way in. The rule nobody expects is the volume cap: speakers may not exceed 68 decibels, tied to the City of Houston sound ordinance rather than to stadium preference. Lots open four hours before kickoff, every space needs a pre-purchased mobile pass, and tailgating continues for an hour after the final whistle.
Where to Tailgate
The Reliant Park lots
All of the parking across Reliant Park permits tailgating at Texans games. Your ground is the parking spot plus the space directly behind or in front of the vehicle, whichever is adjacent to the drive lane.
Known for All lots tailgate · Open 4 hours before kickoff · Mobile pass required
The blue lines
Painted along the drive lane in every lot, and the edge of what you may occupy. Tailgating beyond the blue lines is not permitted, and the lane itself must never be blocked.
Known for Painted boundary · Do not cross · Keep the lane clear
The post-game hour
Tailgating carries on for one hour after the game ends, at which point the lots begin to close and every vehicle has to leave the property. A real window rather than a courtesy.
Known for One hour post-game · Then lots close
Pregame Rules
What Reliant Stadium allows before the game, and what it does not.
- Tailgating is allowed in all Reliant Park parking at Houston Texans games, or at the discretion of management for other events.
- Tailgating is limited to the parking spot and the space directly behind or in front of each vehicle, whichever is adjacent to the drive lane, without blocking the lane.
- You may not tailgate beyond the blue lines marked in the drive lane.
- All tents, chairs and similar equipment must be put away before entering the stadium.
- Liquid charcoal starter and other flammable liquids are strictly prohibited. Charcoal may be started with an electrical starter designed for the purpose, or quick-starting charcoal is recommended.
- Open flames are allowed, but all barbecue pits left unattended must be extinguished.
- Music speakers may not produce sound greater than 68 decibels, in accordance with City of Houston sound ordinance sections 30.1-30.9.
- Parking lots open four hours prior to kickoff for Texans games.
- All parking lots on Reliant Park property require a pre-purchased mobile parking pass, with limited cashless lots available on site.
- Postgame tailgating is permitted for one hour following the conclusion of the game, after which lots begin to close and all vehicles must leave.
Weather
Reliant Stadium has a retractable roof, so these are the conditions for the walk in and the pregame, and the roof decides the rest.
Across the NFL season the warmest month is September, with an average high of 89°F, and the coldest is January, when the average low is 46°F. September is the wettest month at 5.8 inches and November the driest at 3.9 inches.
That January low ranks 26th coldest of the 32 NFL venues, and September here ranks 4th wettest.
September
5.8 inchesOctober
5.8 inchesNovember
3.9 inchesDecember
4.3 inchesJanuary
4.1 inchesWhat to Bring
- Only the outside food and drink the rule allows
Outside food and beverages are prohibited unless the Texans approve a dietary or medical accommodation in advance.
- A card or a phone wallet
Reliant Stadium is cashless for food, beverages, and merchandise.
- A warm layer for the pregame
January nights average 46°F outside Reliant Stadium, whatever the roof does.
- Sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat
September highs average 89°F outside Reliant Stadium, whatever the roof does.
- A rain layer
September averages 5.8 inches of rain here, outside the roof.
Tailgate Gear
Lots open four hours before kickoff, running to one hour after the game.
- An electric charcoal starter or quick-start briquettes: liquid starter is strictly prohibited
- A speaker you can keep under 68 decibels, per the Houston sound ordinance
- A pre-purchased mobile parking pass
- A setup that stays inside the blue lines and never blocks the drive lane
- Somewhere to stow the tent and chairs before you head into the stadium
How We Checked This Page
Every section below names the source it was read from and the day it was read. Where we could not reach a published figure, the page says so rather than presenting an estimate as a checked fact.
- Game day timeline
Gate opening time checked against the venue's own gate-opening policy: Reliant Stadium's main gates open 90 minutes before kickoff for Texans games.
- Pregame
Houston Texans official site: Parking & Tailgating and Tailgate Guidelines, with NRG Park's A-Z Guide
- Weather
NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals
- Venue policies
Current Houston Texans Reliant Stadium A-Z and accessibility guides reviewed for all structured venue-policy topics.